


Let It Snow

by fictionalheart



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-11
Updated: 2015-01-19
Packaged: 2018-03-07 03:26:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3159476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fictionalheart/pseuds/fictionalheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fed up with his father's attempts to intervene in his love life and forced into attending yet another family gala, Arthur decides to speak up and take matters into his own hands.</p><p>Modern AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Somehow, whenever my essay deadlines approach, I end up writing fic instead of working. 
> 
> I started a Christmas story called "Let It Snow" early in December, before then starting a different Christmas-themed Modern AU, so I decided to rewrite it to make it both more winter-y than specifically holiday-themed and to make it fit into (an earlier time in) the "All I Want for Christmas" verse. I still intend to finish AIWfC (though I am planning to revise bits of that as well as I wrote that very quickly), but I got inspired for this first, so here we go...

Nodding at Lord Manford, Arthur excuses himself and surveys the room where the annual Albion de Bois gala is being held.

His father is deep in conversation with Agravaine on the other side of the hall, laughing in a way that only Arthur can tell is neither quite genuine nor good news for his uncle. He shakes his head and decides to take advantage of the lull to make his way towards the bar.

He’s already had as much as he knows he ought to while technically on duty and representing the bank, but he catches Merlin animatedly telling a story to Gwen, and he wants nothing more than to slip behind the counter and spend the rest of the evening with his best friends. Settling for the next best alternative, he pulls up one of the stools that had inelegantly been placed along its edge and grins when Merlin places a soda in front of him without his needing to ask.

“Thanks.” He raises his glass to Merlin and takes a sip.

“It can’t have gotten worse?” Merlin asks, but Arthur catches an amused lilt in his voice and fixes him with a deadpan look. “What? I saw you chatting with Vivian… and Elena... and what was that last one’s name?”  
  
“Victoria.” Arthur groans. He begins to put his head in his hands, but Gwen is fixating on unnecessarily rearranging a row of champagne flutes, and the sight causes him to frown. She’d been her usual self when he’d stopped by her and Merlin’s flat before the gala, teasing him for the clumsy knot of his tie and lingering as she’d straightened it for him, but he’d noticed her growing progressively quieter each time he’d approached the bar.

Merlin looks between them and gives a half smile. “Were none of them to your liking?”

Arthur lets out a puff of air he tries to pass as a sardonic chuckle and shakes his head, not looking away from Gwen. Her curls fall forward as she leans over the bar and create a curtain across her face. He can’t see her expression, but he knows the meaning of her quiet, has observed it before in very different circumstances, and his heart jumps at the possible meaning. He lightly shakes his head before turning back to Merlin and is pleasantly surprised by the assertiveness in his own voice when he speaks, “There isn’t anyone on this side of the bar to my liking.”

Gwen looks up at that, hair clearing her face to reveal the beginnings of a smile. “I wouldn’t let your father hear that.”

Arthur shrugs and grins at her. “Well then maybe he would stop trying to set me up with each and every one of his friends’ daughters.”

Merlin snorts and shakes his head at the two of them. “What he’d do would have you committed.”

“That might be better than putting up with anymore of…” Arthur trails off as both Merlin and Gwen’s eyes widen in warning, and he turns to find an elderly man walking toward him with a young, flaxen-haired woman in tow. “Ah.” He shoots Gwen a half smile and stands, to extend a hand to his father’s friend and colleague as he comes to stand beside him. “Walter.”

He watches Gwen disappear with her tray of drinks as they exchange pleasantries and hopes she knows just how much he’d meant what he’d said.

He nods as Walter asks if he’s met his daughter, and his lip quivers as Merlin tries to cover a laugh with a cough. Eleanor is no stranger to their group, and Arthur wonders how Walter thinks he’s still being subtle after all of this time.

“Indeed, we were briefly up at Oxford together.” In fact, she’d been up at the same time as all three of them and had even been in the same college as Merlin and attempted to disgrace Gwen in one of the student-run papers, but, being the worst kind of snob he’d ever encountered, he doubts she’ll acknowledge their presence.

“Of course.” Walter smiles. “I’ll leave you two to catch up then.” He nods at them and scuffles off across the room. Arthur watches him nod to Uther as he joins him, and his father raises his glass, gesturing towards Eleanor.

Arthur sighs and turns back towards his former classmate and gestures towards Merlin. “I believe you know Merlin?”

Eleanor looks taken aback and frowns at his bartending uniform. “I don’t believe so, no. So Arthur-”

Arthur shoots Merlin a look, and Merlin leans over the counter with a pointed smile and extends his hand towards Eleanor. “We were at Oriel together. I beat you at chess once, and then you spread malicious rumours about my best friend.”

“I don’t -” She looks down at Merlin’s hand and gives the limpest handshake Arthur had ever seen.

“Merlin’s acting as my assistant as he works on his doctorate.”

“Is that so?”

Merlin nods. “I’m working on the importance of ethics in financial establishments. Are you interested in ethics, Eleanor?”

“Merlin…” Arthur rolls his eyes, but he knows Merlin thinks Eleanor’s behind the string of vicious articles that had appeared about him over the past few weeks, and given the reputation she’d held while they were at university along with her interest in journalism, he’s inclined to agree with him.

“I suppose?” Eleanor’s falsely cheerful falsetto comes out more forced than usual.

Merlin nods. “Because I also get to rout though the papers for articles on Albion and Arthur as part of my job, and I’ve come across quite a few by Eleanor Champion in the gossip columns lately. Not the same last name of course, but her writing style seems oddly familiar.”

Eleanor blanches, and Arthur feels a little bad for her, but he’s had enough of people betraying him and his loved ones while pretending to be his friend, and so he holds back a smirk as Merlin asks, “What did she call you in that last one, Arthur?”

“Hmm, I can’t quite recall. That isn’t important now, though. How have you been, Eleanor?”

“Oh just wonderful!” Eleanor’s usual, cheerful falsetto fails her, and she looks towards a group gathered around Morgana. “If you’ll excuse me, I just need to…” she trails off, gesturing towards Morgana and takes off before they can say goodbye.

Morgana catches Arthur’s eye as she spots Eleanor and raises a single, angular brow. He shrugs in apology, and Morgana smirks. She had been two years ahead of them at universtiy, having skipped ahead in most of her classes, but she’d crossed Eleanor countless times at family functions, and Morgana’s dislike for her was even more pronounced than Merlin’s.

Arthur shakes his head and turns back to his friend. “That was awful."

Merlin gives him a half smile and goes back to preparing another tray of champagne to circulate around the room. “I know, but I’m certain it was her.”

“I think you’re right, but I don’t understand what I ever did to her.”

“Well you’ve never agreed to date her, and you stood up for Gwen during the great debacle.”

“Of course I stood up for Gwen! She completely made up that story and I wasn’t about to leave you and Gwen alone to deal with -”

“Arthur!” Merlin interrupts. “I know.” He completely fails to hold back a smile, and Arthur feels the heat begin to spread through his cheeks. Having listened to countless over the past few months, years if he was being honest with himself, Merlin was well aware of his feelings for Guinevere.

He nods and looks down into his drink. He clears his throat and wants to express his concern for what slanderous things Eleanor might come up with if he were to enter into a relationship, but then Morgana walks towards them, serene and smiling to everyone but Arthur and Merlin. She does nothing to soften the clicks of her heels against the marble floor of the hall, and the slight glint in her eyes alerts them to her exasperated mood.

“I absolutely abhor that woman.”

Merlin nods as she leans against the bar. “I take it you’d like another?” He holds up a martini glass, and Morgana smiles.

“Yes, please, and then I’m getting out of here.”

“Father isn’t going to be happy if you leave now.”

Morgana shrugs, lifting her eyebrows and her glass. “Then you can stay. Gwaine’s asked me over tonight, and I’d much rather spend the rest of the evening with him.”

Merlin’s expression dulls as he tries to busy himself with something behind the bar, and Arthur wonders if he knows just how obvious he’s being.

“Is she finally gone, then?” Gwen reappears with a tray full of empty glasses and hovers before Arthur and Morgana.

“Thank goodness,” Morgana replies, sipping her drink and shoots Gwen a smile. “I still can’t believe you agreed to work tonight. It’s been insane.”

Gwen shrugs. “It’s calmed down now, and besides I need to work as many events as I can before I start to actually write my thesis.”

“You’re still brave. Just attending this event is bad enough.”

“We’re all going to need to be brave,” Merlin interrupts. “Uther’s headed this way.”

Morgana finishes her drink and hands her glass back to Merlin with a grin. “That’s my cue to leave then.” She winks at Arthur and Gwen and saunters towards Uther.

Gwen shakes her head and squeezes Arthur’s arm as they watch Morgana kiss Uther on the cheek and walk out of the hall. He knows the gesture is in reassurance, but his pulse quickens as Gwen wraps her fingers around his arm, and he forgets his father’s approach as he watches her resume her position behind the bar.

* * *

 

Uther gives him the talking to he’d come to expect as the evening had worn on, oblivious to Merlin and Gwen behind the bar. He reminds him that it’s his duty to represent Albion at all times, to mingle with their guests and above all, to assure the bank’s future by forging alliances with the younger generation of financiers. His tone never wavers, deep and firm, and he smiles through his speech, nodding and waving at the occasional guests who pass by them and stop at the bar for drinks.

“I just don’t understand, Arthur.”

“What is there not to understand?”

“I introduce you to lovely young women at every event that we host. Intelligent young women who come from the same background, share the same values, and would make excellent business allies for Albion.”

Arthur swallows and gives one, short nod. “With respect, Father, I don’t want to think of strategy when it comes to dating. I come from the same background as these women, yes, and they are, for the most part, admirable individuals, but I will not date them simply because it is convenient. I will not date them when my heart belongs to someone else. When I marry, it will be for love, not for taxes and financial optimisation.”

“It’s your duty, Arthur. As my sole heir to the bank, it is your duty to think of it before all else. You’ve had your time to listen to your heart and have your unsuitable flings, but that time is over.”

“I’m only twenty-six, Father,” Arthur replies and, despite his exasperation, needs to fight back a smirk as he hears Merlin mutter something about it also being the twenty-first century.

“And I was twenty-five when I married your mother and created an alliance between Albion and De Bois International. Your uncle and I believe it’s time for you to do the same.”

Having had a similarly conversation weeks ago that had not ended well, Arthur bows his head and hopes his father his father will take the gesture as acquiescence and leave him be.

Uther smiles and pats Arthur on the back. “I knew you’d understand.” He excuses himself and goes to rejoin Agravaine and Lord Godwyn.

Arthur groans and leans against the bar once his father is out of earshot. “Can we follow Morgana’s lead and just leave?”

Merlin gives a wry smile. “We both have another two hours to cover on our shifts.”

Gwen reaches across the bar and places her hand over Arthur’s. “I am due for a break, though. It would only be for twenty minutes, but we could get out of here?”

Arthur nods, threading their fingers together. “I’d like that.”

Gwen squeezes his hand once and smiles before letting go and moving towards the hidden door behind the bar. “I’ll just get my coat and meet you by the front entrance in two minutes then.”

Arthur watches her walk out, smiling all the time, and jumps when Merlin clears his throat. His friend is beaming at him when he looks over. “Promise me one thing, Arthur?”

“Yes?”

“Tell her how you feel this time. Uther was right about one thing. It is time, even if he has no idea what it’s actually time for. It’s been a year since she left Lancelot, and I promise it’ll go better than you think it will.”

“How can you possibly know that?”

“You aren’t the only person to confide in me, Arthur.”

Arthur frowns. “You haven’t told Gwen…”

“No. And I wouldn’t have said anything now, but I’m sick of the two of you walking around each other in circles. Now go before you make her wait.”

“Thank you, Merlin.” He smiles at his friend and quickly makes his way towards the door, duty and strategy be damned.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Arriving in the lobby before Arthur, Gwen catches her reflection in a floor-length mirror that graces a far wall of the room. A couple sits on the plush, velvet sofa before it, dressed in evening wear, and Gwen wonders what it would be like to attend the gala in a gown rather than a uniform. She knows Arthur and Morgana hate the event, has helped Morgana pick out too many feathered dresses and nursed Arthur back from too many Albion-induced hangovers to think she would enjoy it for itself. Yet, she thinks back to earlier in the evening when she’d helped Arthur straighten out his outfit and knows she wouldn’t mind dressing up beside him and spending the night whispering jokes to one another rather than sneaking Arthur out into the night for a break from it all.

She pushes a stray lock of hair behind her ear as she runs the possibilities through her mind, thinking of the plum-coloured dress Morgana had made her try on earlier in the week and the reasons she and Arthur could find for sneaking away. She feels herself begin to blush when Arthur alerts her to his presence with a cough and thanks whoever decided to dim the lobby lights at night.

“Ready?”

Amusement is written across his face as he considers her expression, but his eyes soften as he meets her eye, and she nods, smiling to herself as they make their way out the door.

“Where would you like to go?” She considers the street in front of them. The hotel Albion selected for the gala is in the middle of Mayfair, surrounded by a row of upmarket boutiques that Morgana had dragged her through on more than one occasion. Their windows cast an eerie glow over the street with their backlit displays, but nothing is open and the pavements are deserted save for the occasional discarded Christmas tree.

Arthur shrugs. “Wherever you would like to go.” The corner of his mouth turns up as she raises an eyebrow, and he shoves his hands into the front pockets of his coat, looking oddly shy.

Gwen feels a flutter of nerves run through her, and she bursts out laughing at their behaviour. They spend all of their free time together, or with Merlin, and here they are, acting like they had when they’d first met.

Arthur joins in and shakes his head. “I’m sorry. It is your break though.”

“I could do with coffee if I have another two hours of the gala ahead.”

Arthur nods once and steps forward. “There’s a café around the corner that should still be open. My father moved us in here when he was having the house redone years ago, and Morgana and I used to sneak out and go there for hot chocolate at night.”

“That sounds lovely.” Gwen smiles at the thought, wondering for the thousandth time what it would have been like had she grown up in London and met Arthur and Morgana before university. Her own childhood had been much different, happily spent in a rural town centred on the ruins of a medieval castle, far from the city and posh hotels.

“The hot chocolate certainly was, but I’m not sure it’ll live up to the stuff we used to get at Oxford.”

Arthur and Merlin had gotten a flat in the centre of town during their final year, and the three of them had fallen into the habit of studying together until the early hours of the morning, only taking breaks to seek out chocolaty beverages spiked with shots of espresso at a tiny coffee house in their building.

“I’m not sure anything can compare to that,” Gwen murmurs.

“No,” Arthur agrees, and nerves flutter through her again, as she feels him softly brush the backs of his fingers against hers as they fall into step beside one another.

She doesn’t know if the gesture is intentional, but she reciprocates and he immediately laces their fingers together and smiles down at her.

 

* * *

 

The café is, as promised, around the corner, and they find it to be surprisingly busy for the late hour. They spot an empty corner table, but keeping an eye on the time and both secretly craving far more privacy, they opt for takeaway and leave cradling their drinks in their free hands.

Taking one whiff of her mocha, Gwen knows Arthur was right to recommend the café and sighs, wishing she could take her time to savour the drink rather than rush back to work. Looking up from her cup, she finds Arthur watching her, mouth slightly agape and a mildly dazed look in his eyes. It isn’t an expression she’s often seen on his face, but she stills when she realizes it’s one he’s only ever worn around her. “What is it?”

He snaps back to at the sound of her voice, and smiles at her. “It’s nothing. Just, thank you for escaping with me.”

“Anytime, Arthur. I’m just sorry I can’t stay for long.”

He squeezes their still joined hands, and his voice dips, “Long or not, this is already the highlight of my evening.”

Gwen chuckles, not wanting to read more in his answer and get her hopes up too high. “That isn’t exactly difficult with the evening you’re having.” She looks up, expecting him to laugh along with her, but finds him looking down at their hands with a small smile.

He brushes his thumb against her wrist, and she feels hope rising up within her despite herself. “I mean it, Gwen. This would be the highlight even if my father wasn’t dead set on setting me up with every unmarried woman at the gala.”

She swallows, and forces herself to ask, “Did none of them really catch your fancy?”

“How could they?”

“They weren’t all that bad, Arthur.” Seeing him with them had been excruciating, but some of the women had seemed genuinely lovely and she knew that if the circumstances had been different, she could have rooted for them.

Arthur scoffs, and his voice is almost impossibly low, “None of them were you though, were they?”

She stops walking and meets his gaze. He looks as nervous as she feels, and her mouth begins to quirk into a smile, even as she mutters, “You don’t mean that.”

“I do.”

She shakes her head and beams. “ _Arthur_.”  

“ _Guinevere_.” He mirrors her expression and swings their joined hands, but he sobers as he stares at her and a certain sadness taints his smile as he continues to speak, “You’ve always been the reason why I haven’t been interested in any of them.”

She gapes at him as her heart drums in her ears, and she knows she should say something, anything about the feelings that she’s kept to herself for ages, but a barely audible, “Always?” is all that manages to slip out.

“Well, since that night you yelled at me at the end of first year for breaking my finger after I rushed to hold the door for you and tripped. I haven’t seriously thought of anyone since.”

“Arthur, that was five years ago.” All the times they’d shared together since then run through her mind, all the times she’d almost spoken up about her own feelings but hadn’t, convinced that he wasn’t interested, that they couldn’t be, and she shakes her head in awe.  

He shrugs. “There’s never been anyone else.” He swallows, looking away before sheepishly meeting her disbelieving gaze, no doubt remembering all the flings she and Merlin had heard about. “You’ve been the only one to matter to me, Guinevere, the only woman I’ve ever loved.”

She continues shaking her head and then suddenly remembers all of the exasperated sighs Merlin had let out as she’d confided in him about her feelings for Arthur through the years, all of the enthusiastic pushes he’d given, and she both wants to laugh and scream at the ridiculousness of it all. “Arthur, I-”

Arthur looks down, smiling sadly. “It’s alright. I don’t expect you to feel the same way.”

“But I do.” His eyes snap back to hers and are suddenly filled with such renewed hope that she begins to laugh despite herself. “This is such a mess, Arthur. Of course I feel the same way.”

He lets out a chuckle. “You do?”

She nods, biting down on her lip. “I’ve loved you for almost as long we’ve been friends. I didn’t want to believe it at first, but it’s been years, Arthur. I -” She laughs, giddy that everything is finally coming out into the open and wonders what to say next, but it doesn’t matter because the next second, Arthur’s lips are on hers and she feels every last remaining ounce of doubt leave her as she responds to his embrace.

The night and the chill of the city street fade away and all she knows is what it finally feels like to be so close to Arthur, to feel his hand slip out of hers and tangle into her hair and taste the hint of espresso on his lips as he smiles into their kiss.

Her own smile grows in response until she has to pull away, grin stretching across her face, and finds Arthur watching her with an even more dazed expression than before. “I can’t believe we’ve waited this long.”

Arthur shakes his head and his eyes light up more as he laughs. Gwen curses the drink in her hand, wanting to wrap both of her arms around his neck and pull him back down to her, but before she can fixate on the thought, Arthur’s phone chimes to Uther’s ringtone, and they both move apart as he reaches into his pocket. He frowns, switching it off, and turns back to her, extending his free hand.

“We should probably head back.”

Gwen nods, but then her own phone chimes repeatedly and she reaches for it, finding a string of messages from Merlin.

 

_Uther on the lookout_.

 

_Eleanor in tow_.

 

_They do not look happy!!_

 

Gwen frowns, holding her phone up Arthur. “Maybe you should call him back?”

Arthur cringes. “Or I could just leave.”

“ _Arthur_.”

“You know how he is, Gwen. He isn’t going to change his mind about anything, and if Eleanor’s talked to him, then he’s going to side with her.”

“You can’t hide from him forever though.” She tosses her drink in a bin near the hotel entrance and threads her fingers through his.

“I won’t. I’ve told him how I feel, and I’ll continue telling him until he listens, but I don’t want to ruin tonight. Not after this.” He squeezes her hand, and her mouth twitches upward into a smile.

“I don’t want tonight to be ruined either, but if you talk to him and he listens, then you can put it behind you once and for all.”

Arthur nods, and his expression settles into a pout as his eyebrows knit together and his mouth purses. “And then we can leave?”

“Then _you_ can leave. I still have another hour and a half on my shift.”

“You could get Merlin to cover for you.”

She smirks. “That wouldn’t be fair to Merlin, especially not after everything we’ve put him through.”

Arthur chuckles. “I suppose we have put him through a lot. He’s been pushing me to get over myself and tell you how I feel for ages.”

Gwen gives in to the laughter she’d resisted earlier and shakes her head. “Poor Merlin. He’s been encouraging me to do the same for months now.”  

“I’m surprised he hasn’t combusted before now.”

Laughing they leave the quiet street behind them and head back into the hotel.

 

* * *

 

They decide to go up separately, not wanting to excite any suspicion. Arthur goes first, pouting all the while, and by the time Gwen follows several minutes later, Uther has him locked in an argument.

Gwen can’t hear what they’re saying, but Uther looks eerily calm, shooting reassuring smiles at his guests. She holds back a scowl, no more used to Uther’s cool anger now than she had been when she’d first met him years ago. He would often get angry, openly but quietly disapproving of Morgana’s rebellions and Arthur’s life choices.

She and Merlin had been to visit over the holidays early in their friendship with Arthur, and comfortable in their presence, Arthur had chosen the moment to share his doubts about mathematics and finance. He’d told them many times of his dreams to break away from his father’s line of work and do something that would actually help those less fortunate than himself. With their support, he’d looked into alternate courses and had optimistically approached his father.  

Uther had not understood. He’d flown into a quiet rage, citing obviously rehearsed speeches about birth right and family duty. Gwen had been horrified by his reaction. Her own father had sworn to support her in whatever she did before he’d passed away, and Gaius stood by Merlin’s every decision. They’d both assumed that Uther would understand and his support his son, but they’d been wrong and watched their friend quietly succumb to his guilt trip.

She’d learned since then that Arthur had a weakness for family duty, held back by the fear of disappointing those who had come before him and feeling the ever-persistent need to make everyone happy before thinking of himself. She admires his dedication, but she fears he'll give in to Uther’s rhetoric again tonight.

Sighing, she makes her way back to the bar and finds Merlin watching the scene play out across the room.

“It doesn’t look good.”

“How long have they been at it?”

“Pretty much since Arthur walked in the door. Uther was waiting for him by the door.”

Gwen nods and begins rearranging a row of glasses. “And Eleanor?”

“She ran off just as Arthur arrived.”

Gwen scoffs. “She’s never been one to face the consequences of her actions.”

“That she isn’t.” Merlin shakes his head, but then turns back to his friend with a grin. “Soooo. How’d it go with Arthur?”

Gwen wants to keep things between her and Arthur for just that night, but she feels warmth spreading through her cheeks, and a smile betrays her before she can even attempt to suppress it.

“I knew it!” Merlin beams down at her, and she doesn’t know that she’s ever seen him wear wider grin.

“I don’t know how you’ve put up with us for all of this time.”

“Oh, it hasn’t been easy.” He shakes his head as he speaks, but the smirk remains fixed to his face, and Gwen can’t help but laugh. “I’m happy for you, Gwen. It was about time.”

“Thank you, Merlin.” She smiles and reaches beneath the counter for a bottle just as the sound of shattering glass cuts through the lull of chatter that fills the room.

She straightens just in time to see Uther march out of the room, all false calm gone from his countenance.

“That can’t be good,” Merlin states, free from the mirth that had previously laced his speech.

“Not if it finally got Uther to show some emotion.” She scans the room for Arthur and spots him making his way towards them.

He looks exhausted as he approaches the bar, but his eyes give off an exhilarated shine, and she knows he’s happy with himself despite the commotion he’s caused. She gives him a soft smile and reaches out to place her hand over his when he leans against the counter.

“What did you do?” Merlin asks, cocking his head to the side.

“I threatened to resign, effective immediately.”

“Arthur!”

“He wouldn’t listen, and I’m done trying to make him.”

The mirth returns to Merlin’s face as he responds, “He can’t have accepted that.”

Arthur shrugs. “He’ll either have to accept it or come to terms with the fact that I won’t act as his financial, strategic puppet.”

“Did he say anything before he stormed off.”

“No.” Arthur looks pleased with himself, but the smile fades as he continues, “I should go speak with him before he does anything rash, though.”

Merlin nods. “That would probably be a good idea, and make sure my job isn’t affected!”

“Merlin!”

He shrugs, turning to look at Gwen. “What? Uther or not, it’s a good job.”

“I won’t let you lose your job, Merlin,” Arthur promises. He exhales. “I’m done after this though. Can I crash at yours tonight?”

“Of course you can stay. Why would you even ask?” Merlin begins to answer, but then turns to Gwen. “Ah.”

She rolls her eyes at their friend, telling herself that Arthur spends more time at their flat than at his own as it is.  “Of course. You have the key?”

Arthur nods, and gives her a close-mouthed smile in thanks before walking away.  

Gwen breathes out as Arthur leaves the room and leans against the back wall. “That wasn’t what I was expecting when I told him to speak to Uther.”

“Nor I, but I’m proud of him.”

“As am I. It was about time someone stood up to Uther.”

Merlin smirks, shaking his head. “Do you think he’ll be alright?”

Gwen scoffs. “Uther? I doubt it.”

“No.” Merlin laughs, but then catches the group coming towards them and groans. “I think your boyfriend’s driven the rest of the guests to drink.”

Gwen pushes off the wall and stands beside Merlin. “Call him that, and I’ll take off and leave you to deal with them alone.”

“You wouldn’t.”

Gwen shrugs. “Try and see.”

 


End file.
